Russia on Thursday warned the West of a harsh military response to any new attack on Russian soil and accused the United States and its key European allies of openly inciting Ukraine to attack Russia.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 killed thousands, displaced millions and raised fears of the most serious confrontation between Russia and the United States since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Two months after invading Ukraine, Russia reported that Ukrainian forces had launched a series of attacks on Russian border areas in recent days, warning that such attacks could lead to a significant escalation.
Ukraine did not take direct responsibility, but said that the events were revenge, while Russia referred to the statements of Britain, a member of the Western military alliance North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), that Ukraine was legitimate for its goals towards Russian logistics. .
“In the West, they are openly provoking Kiev to attack Russia, including using weapons received from NATO countries,” Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Moscow.
“I do not recommend that you try our patience any further.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that if such attacks continue, Moscow will attack decision-making centers in Ukraine, including those that Western advisers say is helping Kiev.
“Kyiv and the Western capitals should take seriously the statement of the Ministry of Defense that further incitement by Ukraine to attack Russian territory will certainly provoke a harsh response from Russia,” Zakharova said.
Zakharova described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a puppet of the West used by the United States to threaten Russia.
“You are being used,” he said.
The United States refused to send its own or NATO forces to Ukraine, but Washington and its European allies supplied Kiev with weapons such as drones, Howitzer heavy artillery, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank Javelin missiles.
A US official said the total US security aid since the invasion is about $3.7 billion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the West’s arms shipments to Ukraine as part of the US and its allies’ plan to destroy Russia, and promised that they would never succeed.
Putin said the “special military operation” in Ukraine was necessary because the United States had to use Ukraine to threaten Russia and Moscow had to defend itself against the persecution of the Russian-speaking people in the neighboring country.
He points to the conflict as an inevitable confrontation with the United States, which he accuses of threatening Russia by getting into his backyard and expanding NATO.
Ukraine says it is fighting an imperial-style land grab and Putin’s allegations of genocide are nonsense. Zelensky begs US and European leaders to supply Kiev with more heavy weapons and equipment.
source: Noticias
